The present disclosure relates to a toner conveying device conveying a toner and an image forming apparatus including this toner conveying device.
An image forming apparatus of an electrographic manner includes a toner conveying device conveying a toner contained in a toner container to a developing device.
For example, the toner conveying device includes a horizontal conveying duct extended in a horizontal direction, a falling toner conveying duct extended in a downward direction from the horizontal conveying duct, a toner conveying member rotatably arranged inside the horizontal conveying duct, and a coil spring arranged in the falling toner conveying duct. The toner is freely fallen inside the falling toner conveying duct. An upper end of the coil spring is relative-rotatably locked on a protruding part formed on a rotation shaft of the toner conveying member. The coil spring reciprocates in upward and downward directions according to rotation of the toner conveying member.
Incidentally, the freely falling toner may be adhered or aggregated on an internal wall face of the falling toner conveying duct. The above-mentioned toner conveying device is configured to restrain adhesion and aggregation of the toner on the internal wall face of the falling toner conveying duct by reciprocating the coil spring in the upward and downward directions.
However, the falling toner may be caught by the spiral coil spring. That is, it is feared that the coil spring becomes an obstacle and resistance against the falling toner.